


Little Things

by YoursAlways



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Multi, Romance, polyship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-16 14:25:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9275993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoursAlways/pseuds/YoursAlways
Summary: When actions speak louder than words, you see that love is in all the little things.





	1. Moment One

When the obnoxious beeping of the alarm clock when off, it was a dark hand--belonging to the only one in the bed who either wouldn’t or couldn’t simply sleep through it--that reached up to turn it off. Kaldur’ahm let consciousness come back to him gradually. The dark bedroom was quiet save for the heavy breathing next to him. As he woke up little by little, he went over the mental checklist of things he would need to do that day, and by the time he reached the end, he was awake and ready to get started.

Giving a deep stretch, feeling his still-sleepy muscles tense before relaxing in a warm tingle, Kaldur turned over on his side to stare at his bed partners who were still very much asleep. Propping his head up with one hand, he brought the other up to smooth over a pale shoulder before kissing the skin his thumb was tracing over. “Kagome,” he spoke quietly while giving her arm a gentle squeeze. “It’s time to wake up.” He was careful not to put too much of his weight on Kagome as he also reached across her to run a hand through Conner’s short dark hair. “You too, Conner. We all have things to do today.”

“No,” Kagome whined as she attempted to bury herself deeper under the plush comforter. 

“Five more minutes,” Conner grumbled before wrapping an arm around Kagome and pulling her closer to his chest so that they could lay in sleepy solidarity together.

Kaldur sighed but still smiled at the duo doing their best to pretend he wasn’t there. “Must we do this every morning?”

The only responses he got were a couple of grunts, one irritated and one pouty. Praying for strength and patience, Kaldur reached to pet Conner’s head once more as he pressed a quick kiss to Kagome’s hair. “I’ll go make some tea,” he said hoping it would help coax the two from bed as he slid from the sheets and found some clothes to put on. When he heard a small grunt he knew as a noise of protest from Conner, Kaldur amended, “And some coffee.”

Once the Atlantean was out of the room and things were quiet and still again, Kagome wiggled a little in Conner’s embrace before she sleepily asked, “How long do you think we can put off getting up before he dumps water on us again?”

“That happened once,” Conner pointed out, voice still rough, but he took the point for what it was. Kaldur was almost patient to a fault, but once that courtesy had been stretched as far as it would go, there was very little telling what he might do in retaliation. Cracking one eye open, he glanced at the red numbers of the alarm clock before getting comfortable again. “ _Maybe_ an hour.”

Kagome hummed, still unmoving, before she said, “My tea will be cold by then.”

“Don’t people drink tea cold too?”

“Yeah,” Kagome conceded, “but I like hot tea in the morning.”

Conner chuckled under his breath as he said, “Sounds like you have to get up then.”

“You know your coffee will be cold in another hour too, right?”

There was a moment of silence before Conner sighed heavily, “Damn.”

Kagome giggled against his chest, enjoying the warmth he offered, before patting a hand against his side. “We should probably get up. I think we’re both pretty much awake now anyway.”

“I could get back to sleep if I really tried,” Conner told her in a strained voice as he let go of her and stretched.

“Oh, I’m well aware,” Kagome laughed as she sat up and shivered when the covers fell away from her. Scooting to the edge of the bed, she quickly grabbed the first shirt from the floor she could find and slipped it on. She quickly found that it was definitely not hers by the way it hung loosely around her shoulders, but she decided that she really didn’t care. It just meant she could skip finding a pair of shorts.

Walking around to the other side of the bed where the last of their little trio remained steadfastly under the sheets, Kagome kissed Conner’s temple and rubbed her nose through the short hair there. “Come on,” she prompted. “Go get your coffee and I’ll make breakfast for you guys.”

Conner watched as Kagome left the room and sighed. Sleeping in wasn’t nearly as much fun by yourself.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he grabbed a pair of his sweatpants from a nearby chair and did a quick sniff test before deeming them good for another couple of wears. He skipped a shirt entirely as he made his way to the kitchen just in time to see Kagome giving Kaldur a good morning kiss. “Coffee,” he requested simply as he bent down to rest his head on Kagome’s shoulder. “Big cup.”

Kagome rolled her eyes but reached for Conner’s favorite coffee cup and fixed his coffee alongside her tea. “Here, caveman,” she said as she held up the large mug for him to take. “Go sit down and wake up a little more.”

Conner hummed his thanks as he took the cup, easily ignoring how hot it was in his hand. As he made his way towards the kitchen bar to claim “his” stool, he paused long enough to lean over and give Kaldur’s cheek a quick peck. “Morning,” he sighed in a less-grumpy tone than he’d taken upon first being woken up.

“Good morning,” the smile in Kaldur’s voice was audible.

Taking a sip of her tea and letting the warmth seep into her chest, Kagome was able to take her first good deep breath of the morning. “Okay,” she declared as she gently set down her cup and began to shoo both men out of the kitchen a little faster. “Both of you out while I make breakfast. You got home late from that mission last night, so it’s my treat today. No helping.” When Kaldur looked like he would object, Kagome stressed again, “No. Helping.”

Kaldur sighed before giving in with a soft smile. “Fine,” he admitted in defeat before picking up his own cup of tea and moving out of the way. “But if you’re making breakfast, I’ll pick up dinner on my way home tonight.”

“Sounds like I’m getting the best end of this deal,” Conner yawned from his seat before taking another sip of coffee.

“Don’t worry,” Kagome sang as she pulled out a couple of pans and bowls before rummaging through the refrigerator. “I’m sure we’ll think of some way for you to contribute too.”

“Actually,” Conner cut in, waking up more as they talked together, “I’ll pick up dessert.”

“What were you planning?” Kaldur asked as he sat beside Conner. He could plan dinner around something that would complement the dessert. But when Conner shrugged, not having thought that part out yet, Kaldur laughed and nodded in acceptance. “Then we’ll look forward to the surprise.”

“Okay guys, big question of the day,” Kagome said as she held up two options for them. “Pancakes: blueberry or chocolate chip?”


	2. Moment Two

“I’m back,” Kaldur called stepping into the apartment as he slipped off his shoes and hung up his keys on his designated hook by the door. When there wasn’t the usual greeting in response, he walked back to where he’d left his partners in the kitchen before needing to run out for a last minute dinner ingredient.

“Conner,” Kagome’s laugh echoed through the hall before Kaldur turned the corner to the kitchen and saw what had them distracted.

Conner had one of Kagome’s hands in his with the other on her waist as he spun her around the kitchen to the music from the small stereo on the counter. It wasn’t any sort of choreographed dance with a set step sequence, but more of an imitation ballroom dance with no rhyme or reason to what direction they moved next. And Conner was obviously the one leading as Kagome stumbled over her feet trying to keep up, laughing and mostly being held up by the half-Kryptonian sweeping her this way and that.

Glancing over, Kaldur could see that a pot on the stove was getting closer and closer to boiling over but decided it was fine for the moment. He wanted to watch them a while longer. They all had such stressful jobs and had too few moments where all three of them were home together. Kagome’s laughter and Conner’s grin always put his soul at ease.

“Conner,” Kagome tried again as she tripped and laughed and clung to the taller man’s arms. “I need to check the pots and the bread. Let me have a break for a minute.”

“After this song,” Conner tried to persuade. “It’s a good one.”

Kagome kicked out a foot to lightly hit the side of his calf. “You said the same thing about the last two songs. Dinner is going to burn.”

“It’s fine,” Conner said. “Doesn’t smell burnt yet.”

“And by that time it would be too late,” Kaldur told him as he pushed away from the doorframe he’d been leaning against. Setting his grocery bag down on the counter, he easily cut in to free Kagome from Conner’s hold and let her check on dinner. But instead of letting Conner go, he took Kagome’s place and said, “I’ll teach you how to actually dance.”

Conner gave him a skeptical look but didn’t fight against it as Kaldur began leading them in a simple step sequence around the tile in time with the music, careful to stay out of Kagome’s way. “Why do I even need to know how to _actually_ dance? We were just having some fun.”

“This type of dancing is fun too,” Kaldur assured, wincing a little as Conner stepped on one of his feet before correcting his step. Kaldur smiled to himself when Conner looked down to focus more on where Kaldur’s feet were going and where his own needed to follow. “And there could be plenty of occasions where the knowledge would be handy.”

“Like?”

Kaldur thought for a moment before he began to list things off. “You could need to know it as part of an undercover mission. There are also formal benefits and parties that League members are sometimes invited to.”

Humming like he didn’t quite buy it, Conner argued, “I could probably think of a way out of dancing in any of those situations.”

“Okay then,” Kaldur began casually. “What about a wedding?”

Conner’s step stuttered but he didn’t look up as he cleared his throat and said, “Same as the others. I could get away with not dancing at a wedding. What’s that called? Being a wallflower? I’m okay with that.”

Kaldur was quiet for a moment as the song changed and the tempo slowed. Once they’d settled into their new rhythm, Kaldur asked, “Then what about when it’s _your_ wedding?”

Conner did look up at that, face flushing red and eyes wide. His feet stopped moving which pulled Kaldur to a stop as they stared at each other. Kaldur waited patiently to see what Conner’s response would be to that particular question, watching as Conner swallowed before opening his mouth only to be cut off by a sharp yelp.

The two heroes quickly looked to Kagome just as the spoon she’d been using to stir clattered to the floor and she grabbed her hand where boiling water had splashed out of the pot and onto her skin.

Quickly moving into action, Kaldur took Kagome’s arm and directed her towards the sink where he ran cold water over the burn. “Are you okay?” He asked. “Does it still burn?” When he didn’t get a response, he looked to Kagome’s face only to see her giving him a similarly stunned and flustered look to the one Conner had given him.

Ah. So that was it. His conversation with Conner had distracted her from what she’d been doing and she’d gotten hurt. “I’m sorry,” he apologized as he placed a soft kiss to the crown of Kagome’s head. “I was being hypothetical. I didn’t mean to distract you.”

“Oh,” Kagome breathed shakily, her face falling a little.

Kaldur’s brow creased as he looked up to see Conner also looking away from him, still flushed but noticeably more grumpy. Well then. That wasn’t exactly wasn’t what he’d expected.

“For now,” Kaldur amended, bringing back the attention of the two people he loved. “It’s simply hypothetical _for now_.” He turned off the water to assess Kagome’s burn, and seeing that it didn’t look nearly as angry as it had before, he dabbed it off with a towel and placed a gentle kiss to the tender skin. “I’ll finish dinner,” he offered.

Kagome nodded, smiling as she still seemed to be working through what to say. Though she did elect to get a bag of frozen peas from the freezer for her hand.

Walking back to Conner, who was still standing in the same place Kaldur had left him, Kaldur gave the man a quick kiss before pressing their foreheads together. “The lesson will have to wait,” he said. “After dinner?”

Pink began to rise in Conner’s cheeks again as he said “Sure” before moving off to check out Kagome’s burn for himself.

Things quieted down as Kaldur took over cooking the rest of their meal, but when he would glance back and Conner and Kagome and see how close they sat, how Conner fussed over the minor burn on Kagome’s hand, how Kagome tried to swat him away despite smiling at his attention, how both of them seemed to be trying to suppress a little bit of giddiness, how they would both occasionally glance his way as well, Kaldur became a little more sure. His question was definitely only hypothetical _for now_.


	3. Moment Three

It was a couple of hours past dawn when Conner came home, dragging his feet across the threshold. He’d been out all night and most of the previous day with Superman on a half-mission/half-training exercise. He was more secure in himself and his powers than he’d been following his liberation from Cadmus, but he still got a little excited when he got to spend solo time with Clark for reassurances and pointers. Not that he would ever actually tell the older hero that in so many words.

Kicking off his boots at the door, he trudged his way towards the bedroom ready to collapse into bed only to pause at the doorway. The bed was empty and still neatly made. His eyes moved to look at the alarm clock. It was the weekend and even if Conner could buy Kaldur being awake already, Kagome would definitely still be in bed. Listening closely to the quiet apartment, he could hear soft breathing and small movements coming from the living room.

Conner reached the living room to see that it was quiet, TV and stereo off, while morning sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains along one wall. Stepping closer so that he could peer over the couch, he almost laughed. There was Kaldur stretched out across the couch with Kagome wedged between him and the back of the couch, half-draped over Kaldur. Kagome’s laptop sat open with the screensaver running on the coffee table along with several files and papers scattered around. Conner also spotted her phone as the notification light blinked. With one more look at the multiple documents, he could take a guess that it was work related and probably important.

Watching his partners sleep for a few more peaceful moments, Conner debated with himself on what to do. He was tired and really just wanted to sleep, but after getting so used to sharing the bed with at least one other person, he usually had a hard time sleeping by himself. So the options he was left with were to either move Kagome and Kaldur to the bed, something he was easily capable of even if it would be a little clumsy, or he could join them on the couch, though it was already looking pretty crowded.

He’d just leaned his hands to brace against the back of the couch when the slight shift and creak made Kaldur’s brow scrunch up before green eyes cracked open to look up at him. Conner felt a little bad about waking him up, but he wasn’t surprised given what a notoriously light sleeper Kaldur was.

“You’re home,” Kaldur observed as he began to wake up bit by bit, a little disoriented by not being in bed. As things came back to him and he glanced down at where Kagome was asleep against his chest, he looked back up to Conner as he asked, “How was your mission with Superman?”

“Routine,” Conner spoke lowly, not quite a whisper but soft enough to not wake Kagome. He walked around the couch and tapped Kaldur’s feet.

Kaldur drew his legs up closer to himself to make room for Conner on the other end of the couch as he gave Kagome a gentle shake. “Kagome,” he spoke, “Conner’s back.”

Kagome took a deep breath at being woken up and got in and awkward stretch before actually opening her eyes. Looking around, she spotted Conner and smiled. “Oh, hey,” she greeted sleepily. “Welcome home.” When she noticed the few rays of sunlight coming into the room, she frowned and said “Oh” as her brain began coming back to reality. Glancing over at where her phone was still resting on the coffee table, she saw the blinking light and squeaked “Oh!”

Quickly scrambling over Kaldur, she had to brace one hand on the floor as she stretched out awkwardly for her phone. She stay that way, halfway on the couch and halfway off while stretched over Kaldur’s stomach, as she checked the emails she’d gotten since falling asleep. The men in the room were quiet as they watched her tap around the screen and read over what had been sent to her.

“Ugh, fine,” she groaned before dropping her phone back on the table and awkwardly trying to push her way back up onto the couch. Not able to get back up (and not appreciating the way the other two were barely holding back laughing at her), she pulled herself the rest of the way off the couch, tumbling into the floor. She pushed at Kaldur’s legs until he was forced to sit up before she got back up on the couch and leaned against Conner’s side, closing her eyes and snuggling in to fall back asleep.

“Don’t you need to answer those or something?” Conner asked even as he wrapped an arm around Kagome, settled back into the couch cushions, and stretched his legs out in front of him to get comfortable.

“No,” Kagome answered, obviously a little irritated. “If they’re gonna be like that, they can wait a little longer.”

“Fair enough,” Conner laughed as he looked over at Kaldur and waved at him to join them.

Kaldur looked over at the curtains, the sunlight getting brighter by the moment, before he finally gave in and decided that he could use the extra sleep. He turned around opposite of the way he’d been lying and used Kagome’s hip and thigh as a pillow while his outstretched legs draped over the arm of the couch at the other end.

Lifting one hand, he loosely tangled his fingers with Conner’s where his arm was still draped around Kagome. 

Despite Kagome’s phone buzzing once before its little blinking light started again, everything was still and quiet. A few muffled noises from the street below filtered through the glass of their windows. The light outside continued to shine brighter and brighter. Every so often the sound of the air conditioning or the ice maker would break the peace of the apartment. But for the moment, the trio was content to relax together, safe and content.

None of them were really sure how long it lasted, but they could all agree that it wasn’t nearly long enough. Once again, it was Kagome’s phone that killed the moment as it began to ring without any sign of stopping.

“I hate my job sometimes,” she grumbled as she wiggled out from between Kaldur and Conner to answer the call.

“It’s greatly appreciated though,” Kaldur assured her as his head hit the couch just shy of landing in Conner’s lap.

Kagome made a face at him as she picked up her phone and walked into the next room.

“It was nice while it lasted,” Conner sighed, head tipped back against the back of the couch.

Kaldur hummed in agreement before he rolled to sit up and plant his feet on the floor. “It would seem that the universe is trying to tell us that it’s time to get up for the day.”

“The universe can tell it to someone else,” Conner sniped immediately. “I just got home. I’m going to sleep.” He was quiet for a moment as Kaldur began straightening up some of Kagome’s papers, but he eventually spoke, “Hey, come lay down with me.”

“Sorry,” Kaldur apologized as he laid Kagome’s files in a neat stack on the table. “I’ve already slept more than I should. I have a few things I need to take care of.”

Conner was just getting ready to resign himself to a sleepless afternoon when Kagome came back into the living room.

Hanging up her call, she gathered up her files and laptop and charger before walking over to lean down and kiss Conner’s forehead. “C’mon,” she nodded towards the bedroom. “I have some work to do, but I can do it in bed. I can’t nap with you, but it’s the best I can do.”

Happy to take what he could get, Conner pushed himself to his feet and followed Kagome to the bedroom.

“Get some rest,” Kaldur called down the hall after them as he made his way towards the bathroom for a shower. “We have a team meeting this evening.”

Conner waved over his shoulder at the reminder. Honestly, hero work was the last thing he wanted to think about for the moment. All he was focused on was Kagome, their bed, and a nice long nap.


	4. Moment Four

After weeks of _insisting_ that they needed a few new things for around the house--including but not limited to a new set of spare bedsheets, new towels, and a new can opener since _someone_ broke the last one--Kagome finally managed to talk Conner and Kaldur into going shopping with her.

“Oh, these are softer than our old ones,” Conner said a little awed as he felt a fluffy new towel.

“Which is one reason we need new ones,” Kagome laughed as she felt the towels Conner had pointed out. “I’m tired of scratchy towels.”

Conner shrugged. He honestly hadn’t really noticed anything wrong with the old ones when he used them. Though he did have to admit that he was more excited about the new ones now that he could feel the difference.

“What color should we get?” Kaldur asked as he joined in with the towel touching and agreed that they were very nice.

“Well,” Kagome thought as she stepped back to look at their options. “White is usually easiest since they can just be bleached if they get stained, but the bathroom is mostly white already. I’d really like something that would stand out and look nice.”

Conner turned to look at her like she’d lost her mind. “You’re going to decorate the bathroom with our towels? They’re not decorations. It’s a practical thing.”

“Oh, just you wait, I’m taking you over to look at new bath mats and candles after this,” Kagome warned. “I’m tired of an all white bathroom.”

“Then perhaps something more neutral,” Kaldur suggested as he held up a dark charcoal gray towel.

Kagome hummed as she tilted her head and tried to imagine them hanging in the bathroom back home. “I like it,” she finally decided. “It’ll break up the monotony and I can always add a splash of color with candles and other little things. If we can find bath mats in the same color, that would be perfect.” She grabbed enough towels along with matching hand towels and washcloths to replace their old set before leading the two heroes to another part of the store.

It turned out that Conner, who had adamantly insisted as they were leaving the apartment that he would be fine with whatever Kagome picked out, had a lot of opinions on things she picked out. It was a little frustrating and Kaldur had to mediate more than one argument over color schemes and thread counts, but they were all happy and able to laugh about it by the time they made it to the check-out.

As they left the store holding several bags each, Kagome suggested, “Do you guys want to go get some coffee and a snack before we head home?” She fumbled around with her bags while trying to dig her car keys out of her purse until Conner took some of her bags to free up one of her hands. “Thanks,” she smiled up at him before finally finding her keys and pressing the button to open the trunk as they got closer. “There’s a Starbucks a little ways down the street.”

“I think that would be nice,” Kaldur agreed as they put all of their bags in the trunk and shut it again, Kagome and Kaldur turning to see what Conner had to say about the suggestion.

Going home sounded nice, but he didn’t want to put a damper on something the other two obviously wanted to do. “Lead the way,” he said as he stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets and watched Kagome smile.

The walk was short and Kagome hummed in delight when they stepped inside the chain cafe. It smelled like coffee and sweet breads. As they got in line to place their orders, Kagome felt a small nudge at her side and looked up at Conner. Without saying anything, he glanced from her to the menu and back. She tried not to laugh as she told him, “Don’t worry, I’ll order for you. You want your usual?” When he nodded, she smiled and said, “Okay, I got it.”

When they made it to the counter, Kagome spoke first, “Hi, could I please get a grande of your featured dark roast, a tall green tea frappuccino, a double chocolate brownie, and a blueberry scone.”

As the barista asked if that would be all, Kaldur added, “Passion tango herbal tea, tall, and a slice of banana nut bread, please.”

Pulling up their total, Kagome had barely reached for her wallet before Kaldur was placing money on the counter.

“I was going to treat you today!” She said in surprise and a little bit of a pout.

“Better luck next time,” Kaldur smiled down at her as he accepted his change, Kagome grabbed their snacks, and they went to find a table. The time waiting for their drinks was mostly spent people watching and nibbling and trying to decide what to do about dinner (not an easy discussion since they were all craving different things).

When their order was called up, it was Conner who went to get their drinks. Handing Kagome her very green, whipped cream-topped drink, Conner said, “That’s basically a milkshake.”

“It is not,” Kagome defended as she scooped off the peak of the whipped cream with her finger and stuck it in her mouth. “It’s just cold, milky, green tea.”

“I can tell it’s full of sugar just by looking at it,” Conner told her as he grabbed his preferred creamer.

“Like you’re any better,” Kagome teased. “That creamer you use is pretty much liquid sugar.”

While his partners bickered about whose drink was less healthy, Kaldur poured a small amount of honey into his tea and was content with that. Considering all of their individual dietary choices, if they were all normal humans, Kaldur would be willing to bet that he’d outlive the other two at the table. He thought on it some more before he frowned and suggested, “Let’s have salad for dinner.”


	5. Moment Five

When Conner’s key slid into the lock of the apartment’s front door it was already well past midnight but still a few hours off from dawn, so he was surprised when he opened the door and still heard noise coming from the living room. Holding the door open for Kaldur, they could both hear Kagome speaking Japanese to someone.

“I think she’s talking to her mom,” Conner clarified for Kaldur as he quietly shut the door behind them, able to hear a faint static response. He listened to a little more of the conversation before he said, “She’s worried.”

Making their way to the living room, they saw that the TV was turned onto a news station covering the attack on Star City earlier in the evening. The footage now mostly consisted of clean-up efforts, searching for missing and injured, and replays of heroic highlights during the fight. A fight that Conner and Kaldur had been part of. A fight that Kaldur had been injured in.

As if on cue, footage flashed across the screen of Kaldur protecting a couple of teenagers but getting caught in an explosion immediately afterwards.

Her back was to them, but they could see Kagome from where she sat on the couch as she covered part of her face with one hand and spoke to her mother again in a shaky voice.

Not able to take seeing her worry over the newscast, Kaldur approached the couch with slow, soft steps so as not to irritate his sore bruised ribs or make his pounding headache any worse. Placing a gentle hand on Kagome’s shoulder, he felt her jump in surprise as he said, “It’s okay, we’re home now.”

Kagome bid her mother a hasty goodbye before hanging up and dropping her phone to the couch. She was on her feet to face the two heroes a second later with a look mixed with relief and lingering worry.

These moments always broke Kaldur’s heart. It wasn’t the first time he or Conner had come home a little worse for wear, not the first time she’d had to sit at home and try to follow the news for any indication that they were okay. Her red-rimmed, puffy eyes spoke volumes to how much she’d been crying while they were away, but the way she looked at him, took in his scrapes and bruises and burns, knowing he was the cause of that sadness twisted his stomach in awful ways.

“Kaldur,” Kagome breathed before biting her lip to keep her voice from cracking. “I was watching the news. I saw...are you okay?” Her eyes traveled over him again, looking carefully for anything that might need immediate attention.

“I’m fine,” Kaldur tried to assure her but flinched and had to brace himself when Kagome moved to hug him. He was surprised but grateful when Conner stopped Kagome with a hand on her shoulder.

“You should probably hold off on the hugs for a few days,” Conner told her.

“Why?” Kagome asked looking between the two. When she didn’t get an answer right away, she focused on Conner and tried again. “Conner, _why_?”

Conner sighed because as much as they didn’t want to worry her more, they also couldn’t not tell her. “Look,” he began as he ran a hand through his dark hair. “We went to the Watchtower after the fight. Kaldur got checked out, he’s okay, but he’ll probably be sore for a while; there’s some bruised ribs, burns, and...maybe a small concussion.”

Kagome’s eyes went wide and she opened her mouth to say something before she stopped and took a few deep breaths. “Okay,” she said as she tried to collect her thoughts. “Okay, you’re both home safe and mostly sound. I’ll just be happy it wasn’t any worse.” Fixing her gaze on Kaldur, she told him firmly, “I want to look you over myself in a minute though.” She looked back to Conner and ran a gentle hand down his arm as she gave him a once over. “What about you?” She asked. “Are you okay? Not hurt anywhere I can’t see?”

“I tore my shirt,” Conner said as he stuck a finger through a decent sized hole in his black t-shirt. “Other than that, nothing a shower and a good night’s sleep won’t fix.”

For the first time since they’d gotten home, Kagome smiled a genuine smile. “That’s good to hear,” she told him as she moved to wrap her arms tightly around his middle. “Because I have to hug _someone_.”

Kaldur stepped closer to the other two and stroked Kagome’s hair before kissing the top of her head. “Thank you for worrying,” he murmured as he tried to straighten back up with a low grunt when his ribs protested the movement.

“Okay, that’s it,” Kagome said as she patted Conner’s back and pulled away from their hug. “You guys get cleaned up and then I’m looking you over.”

“Kagome, really, I’m okay,” Kaldur tried to tell her only to be cut off as she took his hands in hers and looked up at him with eyes that held no room for argument.

“ _Please_ ,” she stressed, “just...let me do this.”

Seeing how important it was for her peace of mind, Kaldur sighed and gave in with a nod. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll take a shower and then you can examine to your heart’s content.” He paused, giving one of her hands a gentle squeeze, before adding, “Just...gently.”

“I promise,” Kagome smiled as he dropped her hands and headed towards the bathroom. Glancing up at Conner, she quietly said, “Go keep an eye on him? You know, just in case of a concussion. I don’t want to risk him passing out in the shower alone.”

“Got it,” Conner agreed before he followed after Kaldur, calling out, “Wait up, I’ll join you.”

While Conner and Kaldur were in the shower, Kagome went about turning off the TV, straightening up the living room, and letting her mother know that everything was fine and not to worry. She could hear the shower just being turned off as she entered their bedroom and started turning down the sheets on the bed and crawled onto the mattress.

Kaldur left the bathroom first, towel in hand and wearing a pair of pajama pants. “Kaldur,” Kagome breathed his name for the second time that night. His dark skin was discolored in large splotches across his ribs and sides. She wondered if he would have been able to walk away with less injuries if the heat from the blast hadn’t weakened him.

“Can you dry my back?” He asked extending the towel. “I’m having trouble reaching tonight.”

“Sure.” Kagome took the towel and waited for him to sit on the edge of the bed. She had to bite her lip again when she saw the state his back was in. His skin was marked with burns after taking the brunt of the exposure to the explosion; some burns worse than others but thankfully none that were too bad. Patting gently at his skin, she slowly dried his back one area at a time. When she was finished, she pressed a soft kiss to an unmarked patch of skin and said, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me too,” Kaldur agreed as he turned so that he could kiss her without too much discomfort, knowing it was something that would help both of them feel better.

“I feel left out now,” Conner teased as he stepped out of the bathroom in a pair of boxers, scrubbing a towel over his head to help dry his hair. As he passed by the two on the way to his usual side of the bed, he dipped down to kiss the blond fuzz of Kaldur’s hair and say, “We’re _both_ glad you’re okay.”

“I heal quickly,” Kaldur assured the other two. “So there really is no need to worry, even with the injuries I have now.”

Kagome gently pushed at his shoulder to coax him into lying down before she followed, lying down and getting comfortable beside him. “Still,” she said as one of her hands became engulfed in a soft pink glow, “I’m not taking chances.”

Kaldur closed his eyes as Kagome’s hand gently traced paths up and down his sides and across his ribs. There was a pleasant tingle deep in his muscles as some of the pain began to gradually ebb away. 

“You won’t be instantly healed or anything,” Kagome told him as she continued pushing her power into the damaged tissue. “But this should at least help make sleeping tonight a little more comfortable.”

The bed shifted noticeably when Conner joined them, turning off the lights before moving closer to spoon Kagome. He laid his arm over Kagome’s waist and took Kaldur’s hand in his, and Conner was finally able to sigh in contentment. He’d tried to keep it together when Kaldur had been hurt, knew that someone would need to be steady when they came home since Kagome could be just as emotional as him (moreso at times). He was tired and relieved and finally had a sense of peace again with the two people at the center of his world safe and protected within his reach.

In the dark and quiet, the world shrank down to just the three of them as they fell asleep together bathed in slowly fading pink light.


	6. Moment Six

Kaldur was trying to relax on the couch but was having trouble getting in a position where his ribs didn't ache. “I could come help you,” he called over his shoulder to where Conner was in the kitchen gathering what they'd need for breakfast. 

“Kagome said to rest until she gets home,” Conner repeated for the third time since they'd gotten out of bed. As he came into the living room, he set down two bowls with spoons, two boxes of cereal, and the carton of milk before tossing an ice pack to Kaldur. “She also said to ice your ribs.”

Pressing the ice pack to his ribs, Kaldur winced a little but settled back into the couch cushions. At the very least, he looked much better that morning. Once burned skin was fresh and pink, and even the darkest of bruises had faded to only slight discolorations. It was mostly the soreness from deep in his muscles that remained. He watched Conner pour two different bowls of cereal, adding a little milk to Kaldur's while drowning his own. Kaldur had to admit that it was kind of nice to be the one being taken care of, even if the circumstances weren't the ideal. 

“What channel did she say it would be on?” Conner asked as he handed Kaldur his bowl and grabbed the remote. 

“I believe it was fifty-five,” Kaldur said as he took his first bite of cereal.

Conner pressed the 5 button on the remote twice and waited for the channel to change over. What came on was one of the most popular of many morning variety shows that showed light news headlines, the day’s weather, and usually had a number of special guests and interviews. It looked as though it was still fairly early in the program though, so hopefully they hadn’t missed anything.

Watching as they ate, the commented back and forth about how accurate the forecast was likely to be, Conner questioning how the hosts could seem so _chipper_ so early in the morning.

“And now,” one host said, seated in a different part of the set after coming back from a commercial break, “we have a very special guest with us today. I’m sure many of you are already familiar with her and her work, whether you know it or not, so please help me welcome Kagome Higurashi.” The audience applauded as Kagome walked out onto the set, the picture of professionalism in her pressed and tailored suit, and greeted the host with a brief but warm hug and handshake. Kaldur tried not to laugh when Conner gave his own muffled “woo” from around a mouthful of cereal.

“How does she manage to look that…” Conner trailed off, waving his spoon as he searched for the right word. “Refreshed? She was up most of the night waiting for us to get home and then for a while even after that.”

Kaldur shrugged as Kagome and the host made the usual small talk about something else that had been featured on the show just before the last commercial break. “It is impressive. She got more of a nap than any real amount of sleep.”

“So Kagome,” the host began, starting the interview in earnest. “We’ve had your appearance here on our show planned for a while now, and as terrible as the attack on Star City was last night, I have to say that it was well timed to talk about exactly what it is you do. For those who might not really understand your role, would you care to give us a brief explanation?”

“Of course,” Kagome smiled before launching into a semi-rehearsed speech. “I’m the public relations representative for the Justice League, but I also double as their publicist. The League, for all the good that they do, does occasionally get bad press, usually for things like collateral damages, bystander injuries, and even suspicion because they choose to keep certain secrets, like their real world identities. My job is to mitigate that and put a more positive spin on things.”

The host gave Kagome a playfully skeptical look as they said, “If I didn’t know better, Kagome, I’d say it sounds like you’re trying to sell us some tall tales about our caped crime fighters.”

On their couch, Conner and Kaldur both frowned, automatically feeling defensive on Kagome’s behalf, but their tension eased with Kagome’s response.

“No, not at all,” Kagome laughed as she gently touched the host’s hand before straightening back up in her seat. “I’ll never tell you anything about the League or its members that isn’t true. It would be counterintuitive since if a lie ever got out I, along with the League, would lose our credibility with the public.”

The host nodded in understanding as they took a sip of their water before moving on. “Then I’m sure you monitor a lot of what’s said about the Justice League, not only on news outlets but on social media.”

“Of course,” Kagome answered. “I always have my phone nearby and follow pretty much every hashtag and keyword associated with the League.”

“In that case,” the host said as they turned a little in their seat to look up at a large screen on the wall behind them. Large screenshots of tweets, Instagram and Facebook posts, snaps, and more started flashing across the screen as the host continued, “These are mostly from people in Star City last night. Is there anything you would like to say in response?”

“If you’ll give me the opportunity,” Kagome said, and when the host motioned her to continue, she nodded in thanks. “It’s true that in these fights, sometimes the collateral damage can be extensive,” she began as the screen started to show pictures and video of cleanup efforts and some of the more heavily damaged areas of the city. “But I would like to point out that there was no loss of life last night. At my last check, everyone reported missing in the chaos has been found and most of the injured have since been treated and released from the hospitals.” Clips from news coverage of the fight itself began playing on the screen as Kagome continued, “The Justice League is full of some of the most caring and selfless people I’ve ever had the privilege to meet. These are people who rush into the most dangerous and unpredictable situations on the planet without questioning the potential danger to themselves.”

Kagome watched the screen for a moment before motioning towards it with her hand, “They regularly put themselves in harm’s way to protect people more vulnerable than themselves. Their main goal is to make sure the people of our world are safe and able to live happy lives, to protect our friends, our family, our parents, spouses, and children.” It was then that the clip of Kaldur protecting the teens flashed across the screen before it was replaced with the next clip.

The two heroes on the couch weren’t sure if anyone else could notice how tight Kagome’s smile got in that moment, or if it was a subtle shift that only they would see, but they were both proud when Kagome was able to take a deep breath before getting her composure back and continuing with her speech.

“It’s not just the displays of strength and speed and special powers that make the Justice League members incredible,” Kagome spoke in a serious tone. “This, their selfless drive to protect no matter the costs, is the reason we still continue to call them Heroes.”

The audience broke out into applause again as the host leaned over to shake Kagome’s hand and thank her for coming in despite her busy schedule for the day, and soon after the show was moving onto their next segment.

Kaldur and Conner tuned out the TV after that, Conner standing to take their bowls to the kitchen and Kaldur shifting what was left of his ice pack to the other side of his ribs. When Conner came back into the living room and started looking for something else to watch, he asked, “Did she say when she’d be home?”

“She mentioned having a few people to see about statements and press releases before coming home,” Kaldur said as he shifted and tried to stretch out his back a little. “I doubt she’ll be home before this evening, but I’m sure she’ll let us know when she’s on her way.”

“Because I was thinking,” Conner began as he finally found something worth watching. “We kind of forget how hard she works since she does a lot of it from home. Maybe we could order dinner from that restaurant across town that she likes and have it ready for her by the time she gets back.”

It was easy for them to forget and overlook just how much work Kagome did for the League, and by extension the Team, but her influence was clear when anyone looked at the public opinions. The hero organization had one of the highest approval ratings they’d had since the League’s inception. It was still a wonder to both men that they’d all been able to find time to become friends, much less partners, after their first awkward encounter in the Watchtower. And still, Kagome went out of her way to take care of them at home after taking care of their images in the news.

Kaldur thought for a moment before saying, “We should have one of their menus in the drawer under the microwave.”

“Great,” Conner said as he pushed himself back onto his feet. “You text her and ask around when she might be home and I’ll look for the menu. Don’t say anything about it though,” he warned. “It’s gonna be a surprise.”

Kaldur smiled as he opened up a new message on his phone and began typing out his question. Conner was right. For all she did for them, all of them, she definitely deserved a happy surprise when she got home.


	7. Moment Seven

Their spots in bed were often fluid by necessity, whether by someone getting home late or needing to get up early, but they each had their own “spot” that they typically went to by default. Conner would take the left side, Kaldur the right, and Kagome would snuggle down in the middle. This usually worked out well for everyone. Usually.

Kagome wasn’t sure exactly what it was that woke her up, but she quickly noticed that she was uncomfortably hot. The air around her was almost suffocating. As her mind continued to clear, she realized that she was sandwiched tightly between two bodies much larger than hers, and she was trapped with the body heat of all three of them. Kagome sighed and began to wiggle in an attempt to get a little space between them.

It wasn’t rare for this to happen, but it was always just a little irritating. She wouldn’t lie and say she didn’t like being in the middle of the bed, but it had its drawbacks at times. Most notably, the occasions that Conner and Kaldur ended up trying to cuddle in their sleep and she didn’t pose enough of an obstacle to stop them.

When she still couldn’t free up a little space to breathe, Kagome decided to fall back on the one thing that always worked in these situations.

“Kaldur,” she whispered as she lightly patted Kaldur’s arm. “Kaldur, I’m too hot.”

As the lightest sleeper of the bunch, it wasn’t difficult to wake him up if either of them needed him. That still didn’t mean that he was completely aware of going on immediately after being woken up. “Hm?” Kaldur wordlessly questioned, not quite having caught what Kagome had said.

“I’m too hot,” Kagome repeated. “And you guys are squishing me.”

“Sorry,” Kaldur mumbled as he tried to roll onto his back to give Kagome some breathing room only to be stopped. His mind immediately focused in on the strong arm reaching over Kagome to wrap around his waist and back, keeping him firmly in place. When he tried to pull away again, this time with a little more force, Conner made a disgruntled noise in his sleep and tightened his grip to pull Kaldur closer.

“Okay,” Kagome wheezed from in between them and now fully awake. Reaching behind her, she tried to swat at Conner’s stomach to wake him up. “Seriously can’t breathe now.”

“Conner,” Kaldur said with a shake to the other’s shoulder. While he did mutter something under his breath, Conner still didn’t wake up, so Kaldur tried again with a firmer shake and louder tone, “Conner.”

“Mm what?” Conner asked with a deep sigh, not bothering to open his eyes.

“We need to find a different way to sleep,” Kaldur told him. “I think Kagome would appreciate living to see morning.”

Far from it being the first time he’d been told they were smothering Kagome, Conner easily let go of Kaldur and rolled onto his back to try and fall back asleep. It seemed like the issue was resolved for a few seconds, until Conner groaned and sat up to swing his legs over the edge of the bed. Walking around to the other side, he slid under the covers behind Kaldur as he said, “You guys move over. I still wanna hold Kaldur.”

“I like this plan,” Kagome agreed as she slid into Conner’s old spot and Kaldur took the bed’s center space. Turning over, she also wrapped an arm around Kaldur, much more comfortable than she’d previously been.

Everything in the room was quiet and peaceful for almost a whole minute before Kaldur propped himself up to break the holds on either side of him. “Kagome is right,” he said as he shook his head. “It’s too warm to be between two people, and even this much heat is uncomfortable for me.”

“Right,” Conner sighed as he was once again pulled away from the edge of sleep. “The heat thing.”

“Okay,” Kagome said as she flipped the covers off of her legs and didn’t even bother getting out of bed. Crawling over the legs of the other two, she pushed against Conner’s back as she told them, “Scoot over one more time.”

With Kaldur in Conner’s original place and Conner now in the middle, Kagome slipped back under the covers and rolled over to wrap an arm around Conner’s waist and spoon against his back. Once everyone seemed settled, Conner half-wrapped around Kaldur and simultaneously filling the role of ‘little spoon’, Kagome asked, “Is everyone okay with this? Are you going to be too hot, Conner?”

“No,” Conner answered, already settled into his new position and halfway asleep. “The heat doesn’t bother me like _some people_.”

“Yes, yes, you’re the most heat resistant of us, congratulations,” Kagome rolled her eyes as she tightened her hold on him and pressed her cheek to his back. “Let’s just go back to sleep before the alarm goes off.”

The two men made varying noises of agreement as they all went quiet once again and were finally and comfortably able to doze off once more.

They each had their usual and preferred spots in bed, but sometimes, for many different reasons, their sleeping positions had to be fluid.


	8. Moment Eight

“So,” Kagome started as she sat on the couch with a large bowl of popcorn for their movie night. “I’m planning a trip to Japan sometime soon. Do you guys want to come with me?”

Conner stopped fiddling with the DVD menu and stared at Kagome. “You want us to meet your family?”

“Of course I do!” Kagome told him with a surprised laugh. “You’re important to me and we’ve been together for a while now. I would’ve liked for you to meet them a while back, but we’re all usually so busy that I wasn’t sure when we’d actually be able to. Just, you know, something to think on.” When Conner didn’t go back to starting up the movie, Kagome reached over and took the remote from him to do it herself.

As the movie began and Kagome seemed happy to leave her invitation at that, Conner and Kaldur glanced at each other over Kagome’s head. They knew how much Kagome’s family meant to her and what meeting them would mean. Family was an odd topic for the three of them that was never brought up much, mostly because Kagome and Kaldur so rarely got to see theirs and Conner’s closest family consisted of Superman and that was on a technicality more than anything else.

“When were you planning to make your trip?” Kaldur asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Kagome shrugged lightly. “If you’re planning on coming with me, it’ll depend on when we’re all able to find some time off together.”

Kaldur and Conner both knew that even though Kagome talked to her family, specifically her mother, frequently, she hadn’t been to see them in years. It had been several years since her last trip, and while they’d been dating at the time, their relationship was still young and they’d all agreed it would be better to wait until they were all more sure of where it was going.

“And they…” Conner trailed off for a second before continuing, “they already know you’re inviting us?”

“What?” Kagome asked genuinely confused as she paused their movie and set aside the popcorn to look back and forth between the two of them.

They weren’t oblivious. All three of them knew that not all cultures on Earth were accepting of their type of relationship, of polyamory. People were getting better and more accepting all the time, but many still weren’t. It was the reason that, while they didn’t go out of their way to make it clear that they were in a relationship, they didn’t advertise that they were together. Conner and Kaldur weren’t in the public eye as much as some of their peers, choosing instead to remain with the Team and lead the younger members in covert missions, but if it got out to the public that Kagome was dating not just one but two heroes, her credibility and professionalism could be questioned.

The two men were aware that Kagome’s family already knew about them, the fact that they lived together and were in a relationship, but Kagome had never told either of them about her family’s reaction or view on the three of them.

Kaldur was about to phrase Conner’s question a different way when Kagome suddenly started laughing.

“Oh!” She wheezed, blinking away a few tears. “I get it now! It took me a second.” Taking a second to catch her breath and get out the rest of her giggles, Kagome told them, “Look, my family has always been very understanding. They stopped being surprised by anything in my life years ago. And believe me, my mom has been dropping the least subtle hints in history that she wants to meet you guys.”

“Are you sure?” Kaldur asked, choosing to err on the side of caution. He knew that as important as they and her family were to her, having a bad first meeting or seeing poor interactions between them would put a lot of strain on Kagome. At worst, it could even lead her to start questioning their relationship.

Kagome made a thoughtful face at him before standing up and saying, “One second, I’ll be right back.” Conner and Kaldur watched her retreat to their bedroom before she came back a minute later toting her laptop. Setting it up on the coffee table in front of them and quickly logging in, she opened Skype and started a call. It took a few rings, but it was eventually picked up by Kagome’s mother (on her phone, judging by the video).

Kagome and her mother, who appeared to be pleasantly surprised by her tone and expression, greeted each other in Japanese, but soon Kagome was saying something else and motioning to the other two sitting on the couch with her. Her mother listened carefully, nodding, before she began to laugh in a way that reminded Kaldur and Conner of Kagome.

“Yes,” her mother said in heavily accented English. They could see her thinking over her words carefully before she said, “You come to Tokyo. I want to meet you. All of us!”

“Mom and Souta speak a little English, enough to get by,” Kagome explained quickly. “Grandpa, not so much.”

Conner thought for a moment before he added, “I speak Japanese. I’ve never really used it before, though.”

Kagome’s mother’s face lit up on the screen before she spoke happily to Conner in her native tongue, sounding much more natural and at ease. Kaldur and Kagome watched as Conner blushed a little and nodded before responding. His speech sounded a little mechanical, but Kagome’s mother beamed all the same.

Soon enough, Kagome said goodbye to her mother and ended the call before closing her laptop again. “See?” She asked. “Nothing to be nervous about. Honestly, she was a little disappointed I didn’t bring you two with me last time I went.” Pushing her laptop further back on the table and grabbing their popcorn again, Kagome sat back on the couch and said, “So whenever you think you might be able to take a little time away from the team--I’m thinking maybe a week?--just let me know.”

The movie was started up again and played undisrupted for a couple of minutes before Kaldur spoke up, “I suppose I should try to learn at least a little Japanese before we go.”

“Don’t worry,” Kagome said, patting his knee. “Conner and I can give you a crash course between now and then.”


	9. Moment Nine

Frustrating. That’s what it was. Conner checked the closet  _ again _ in hopes that he’d overlooked it, but his favorite hoodie was nowhere to be seen. He was supposed to be packing for their trip to Japan, and while he wouldn’t necessarily say he was  _ wasting _ time (this was his favorite hoodie, damn it) he would admit that he maybe wasn’t spending it wisely. They were leaving the next day and he was the only one not finished packing.   
  
But really, it was a matter of principle at this point. He  _ had _ to find it, just for peace of mind.   
  
The thing was, he’d already checked everywhere it might be. He’d gone through every piece of clothing in the closet, even in Kaldur and Kagome’s sections just in case it got mixed in somehow. Every drawer had been rifled through (he was sure Kagome would have something to say later about the state he’d left them in, but it pretty much qualified as an emergency at this point). Laundry--clean and dirty--had been sorted and resorted. The washer was checked, the dryer was checked. He looked under the bed and behind the dressers.   
  
Trudging into the living room to check the chairs and under couch cushions (because you just never know), Conner tried to think of anywhere else he might have left it. He stopped by the coat closet to check it again as a thought occurred to him. Had he worn it to the Watchtower and set it down somewhere? Shaking his head and shutting the closet door, he decided not to even entertain that particular possibility. Mostly because the thought of trying to scour the Watchtower for a single hoodie (which may have been picked up by someone else at that point) gave him a headache.   
  
When the living room didn’t turn up his hoodie, Conner flopped down onto the couch and groaned loudly. Did he have other hoodies he could take to Japan? Sure, of course. Were any of them his  _ favorite _ ? Absolutely not.   
  
“What’s the matter?”   
  
Conner startled a little at the sudden question. Honestly, he’d forgotten that he wasn’t alone in the apartment. Kagome had set herself up at the dining room table with her laptop and files and requested privacy to get some last minute work done before their trip, so Conner had just mentally marked off the dining room in his hoodie search. Besides, he couldn’t imagine it being in there to begin with.    
  
“I can’t find my favorite hoodie,” Conner called back from where he still lay on the couch. “I swear, I’ve looked everywhere for it.”   
  
The apartment was quiet for a few seconds before Kagome finally answered, “That’s too bad. Are you sure you looked everywhere?”   
  
“Everywhere I could think it might be,” Conner said as he hefted himself up and sighed. Making his way towards the dining room to check on Kagome, he turned up the room’s light dimmer and scolded, “Working on the computer in the dark is bad for your--” When he could finally see Kagome in the light, his eyes zeroed in on what she was wearing. They stared at each other for several silent seconds before Conner asked, “Is that my hoodie?”   
  
Kagome sank down in her chair and crossed her arms to cover the printed design on the hoodie’s front. “No,” she answered, eyeing Conner cautiously. When his eyes narrowed on her, she slid further down into her chair and mumbled, “Maybe.” When Conner didn’t say anything and only stared at her, snuggled up in the hoodie he’d been searching like mad for, she finally sat up with a small huff and said, “Yes, fine. But I was cold! And it was just laying on a chair in the living room! And I didn’t know you were looking for it! You know it’s always freezing in the dining room--for  _ whatever _ reason--but this was the most out of the way place for me to work.”   
  
Conner sighed and walked to stand next to Kagome. Holding out his hand and motioning for her to give him what he wanted, he simply said, “Hoodie.”   
  
“Really?” Kagome pouted. “But I’m cold,” she told him again, pulling the hoodie tighter around herself.   
  
“Go get one of my other ones. Or one of Kaldur’s. Or one of  _ yours _ .”   
  
“But I already have this one all warm and cozy,” Kagome whined as she laid her head down on the table and looked up at Conner with what she hoped was a pitiful enough expression for him to let her slide this time.   
  
Unfortunately, hours of frustrated searching meant Conner was largely immune to his small girlfriend’s pouting. He easily picked up her chair, causing her to squeak and hold on so she didn’t fall out, and moved her away from the table. Picking her up like she weighed nothing (because to him, that’s almost exactly what she weighed) he carried her back to their bedroom, set her down on the floor, and looked at her expectantly.   
  
Kagome glanced over to the open closet where many more hoodies and sweaters hung before she sighed and unzipped the one she wore, offering it up to Conner. She rolled her eyes when he immediately slipped it on, but before she could make her way to the closet to get another, she was being hugged tightly as Conner wrapped his hoodie around both of them and zipped it up.    
  
A second later, Conner wrapped his arms around her and tipped over so that they both fell on the bed together, Conner laughing as Kagome shrieked in surprise and clung to him.   
  
“A little warning would’ve been nice,” Kagome giggled as she pinched Conner’s side when he continued to laugh at her. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”   
  
“I don’t regret it,” Conner said as they both wiggled around, still wrapped up in his hoodie, and tried to get more comfortable together.   
  
“Don’t you still have packing to do?” Kagome asked as she continued to poke and prod at Conner’s sides in hopes of finding one of his elusive ticklish spots.   
  
Conner lightly smacked at Kagome’s hands underneath the hoodie as he said, “Yeah, but I’m tired now. You have no idea how hard I was looking for this.” He was quiet for a beat before a thought occurred to him. “How much more work do you have to finish?”   
  
Humming in thought as she finally decided to leave Conner’s sides alone and snuggle down into warm cuddles, Kagome answered, “I’m mostly finished; a couple more emails to send out, but that’s about it.”   
  
“Good,” Conner said before letting things go quiet between them. They were both almost asleep, Conner stroking what little of Kagome’s hair was available to him, when the front door opened and they heard Kaldur announce that he was home.   
  
“In here!” Kagome called out as she wiggled to readjust so that she could just barely see the bedroom doorway.   
  
Kaldur came to the bedroom but paused in the doorway at what he saw on the bed. Smiling at the silliness of his partners, he asked, “Did I miss something?”   
  
“Kagome’s a hoodie thief,” Conner summed up.   
  
“I didn’t steal it!” Kagome objected. “It was lying abandoned in the living room.”   
  
As the two on the bed continued to bicker about thievery versus finders-keepers, Kaldur made his way over to sit beside them on the bed. Leaning back on one hand so that he could face them more comfortably, he tapped Kagome on the head to get her attention and asked, “Did you get your work finished?”   
  
“Pretty much,” Kagome answered, twisting in Conner’s hold to smile up at Kaldur. “Just a little more.”   
  
Kaldur glanced around the disorganized state of their room and the scarce contents of the suitcase on the other side of the bed before he looked at Conner with a knowing expression and asked, “And how is your packing coming?”   
  
“Maybe halfway there?” Conner answered. When Kaldur gave him a flat look, he amended, “Maybe less?”   
  
Sighing, Kaldur shook his head but smiled as he said, “I suppose I can help you while Kagome finishes her work. But we should go to bed soon. Tomorrow will be busy.”   
  
“Yeah, okay,” Conner agreed as he unzipped his hoodie and Kagome rolled out.   
  
“Hey Kaldur,” she laughed when she bumped into his thigh. Rolling herself up, she stood and made her way to grab one of her own hoodies out of the closet.   
  
Kaldur watched her curiously for a moment as she tugged at the baggy sweatpants cinched tightly around her hips and cuffed several times at the ends to rest at her mid-calf. “Are those my pants?” He asked.   
  
Kagome was running out of the room and down the hall as she called out over her shoulder, “No!”   
  
“They definitely are,” Conner said as he sat up and stretched. “Maybe we should start wearing some of her clothes in retaliation.”   
  
Caught off guard by the suggestion and the mental image that came along with it, Kaldur suddenly laughed, loud and unrestrained.    
  
Conner watched his boyfriend laugh fully and smiled. It was a rare sound but one of his favorites.


End file.
